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NEW YORK, NY (Newsource) – From holiday lights, to lighting the Menorah, holiday preparations are underway and decorations are going up, but, don’t let them take you down.
“We see orthopedic injuries from fractures to open lacerations to skin tears to head injuries. Really quite the gamut,” said Dr. Jason Milk, Emergency Medicine Physician with the Cleveland Clinic.
Cleveland Clinic Emergency Medicine Doctor Jason Milk says most of the emergency visits from holiday decorating are from falls people putting up lights or other decorations around the house.
Milk says pay attention to the weather, check wind and rain conditions, if you use a ladder or stepstool, put it on stable ground.
“If you’re going to be up more than a few steps that there’s somebody there by your side to hold the ladder and provide additional support with you and ultimately not to use the upper step which are usually marked do not stand on and most of us probably tend to still go up on,” said Dr. Milk.
Milk says there tends to be also electrical injuries this time of year as well. He says to examine lights to make sure they’re not frayed or broken and look at extension cords and outlets.
“If you’re unsure if you’re using equipment, electrical cords that are either frayed or not good condition it’s either to get new or to advise an electrician before you’re overloading an outlet or power socket,” explained Dr. Milk.
If you do get hurt, especially from a fall from a significant height, Milk says it’s always best to see a doctor.
“In these circumstances it’s always better to be safe than sorry and certainly we’d like the opportunity to intervene early in these situations,” furthered Milk.
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